As Long as It's Not Me
Seo Hyun-ju's team leader—what kind of connection could she possibly have with Goryeo Prestige? Goryeo Prestige was the holding company that dominated the nation's largest conglomerates. A royal exclusive VIP card from a company like that? She had no idea the exact issuance conditions, but it seemed impossible without a seriously deep relationship.
It was suspicious that it wasn't just any Goryeo card, but one issued directly by Goryeo Prestige itself. Not some simple affiliation deal—this was straight from Prestige.
"…."
The benefits were beyond common sense. Just to be sure, she tried paying for non-food items elsewhere, but the result was the same every time. A flat 90% discount applied across the board. A 100,000-won outfit for just 10,000 won. A 5-million-won luxury bag for 500,000 won. In this world, did cards like this even exist??
Unable to contain her curiosity, she dug into info about the card while waiting for Hyun-ju to return. But the most crucial detail—the 'issuance conditions'—eluded her.
+ +
"…W-welcome back."
"Yeah."
Hyun-ju, returning late at night, looked utterly exhausted. Yet her appearance was impeccably neat. From head to toe, she was fresh and clean, even smelling nice. Like she'd showered somewhere.
Yoon Ha-young handed back the card.
"Ha-young. Feel free to order something pricier. You know it's a special card."
"Th-that…. Y-yeah, got it. Thank you."
She'd been about to ask about the card's origins but clamped her mouth shut. She couldn't decide if it was okay to pry. What if she asked and got a shocking answer….
No more shocks…. I can't take it….
+++
The next day. Despite it being a holiday Saturday, Hyun-ju was bustling around from early morning, getting ready like she was heading out on a trip.
"Where are you off to today?"
"…."
She hesitated a moment before answering.
"Yeah. Every weekend, a bit…."
Then she placed yesterday's card on the table again.
"I'll be back Monday. Use this in the meantime."
"H-huh…? Monday??"
"Every week from Saturday morning to Monday night. That's when I'm away from the house."
What the hell could she be doing that took so long??
N-no, Monday's a workday, so technically just Saturday and Sunday…. What on earth is Team Leader up to?
The card on the table felt even stranger now. Something no ordinary person could obtain. A team leader who had to leave home for days every weekend. And that 'day's…. that thing….'
The intensely unforgettable scene from the video. They all seemed like separate incidents, but she couldn't shake the feeling they connected.
Let's hypothesize. That 'young master' guy is some high-up at Goryeo Prestige. He got sexual services from Rainbow Miracle. The trainees Kim Dong-gi was delivering were tribute for him. I wrote the article about it, Team Leader took it down right away, but it reached that high-up's ears. So she got summoned, apologized, and got brutally raped as payback…. The next day, that video landed in my email.
But what if the relationship between Team Leader and that 'young master' continued afterward? Then getting a card like this wouldn't be impossible, right? Team Leader was competent, had social standing, and was stunning as a woman. Crude as it sounded, she was worth keeping around for fun.
The evidence on Rainbow Miracle vanishing completely…. If it's the power of Prestige, which controls Goryeo Group…. Yeah, possible.
And another possibility. That 'young master' and Seo Hyun-ju had been hooking up from the start.
- Why does the reporter give Rainbow Miracle special treatment?
Seo Hyun-ju getting raped…. No, excluding the fact that she watched a video that looked like rape….
Isn't it the same as any other agency?
'….'
She shook her head. She wouldn't go there. The video was too real, and Hyun-ju looked genuinely raped.
"Ugh…! What the hell is going on with Team Leader…!!"
She hurriedly got ready to head out. In a flash. Grabbing the card from the table, she bolted out the door.
Sh-it, not too late yet, right?
Stepping outside the apartment, she spotted Hyun-ju opening her car door and getting in. Yoon Ha-young frantically scanned for her own car and dashed over.
+++
And I could tell you where it’s from
The 4736251 to put my mind at ease~
A wistfully nostalgic melody flowed out. She loved this part, which felt like rewinding time to a glamorous, beautiful past. But now, for some reason, only bitterness welled up.
Tail detected.
The car's navigation kept blaring warnings. Someone's vehicle was persistently following. Probably that Yoon Ha-young reporter. Pathetic. A journalist who couldn't even tail properly. How had she managed investigations so far?
"Gonna have to…. train her a lot…."
+++
"Uwaaah…. Where the hell is she going…."
Telling the AI 'follow that car' required the target's consent, so tailing meant manual driving. And stealthy tailing without getting spotted drained a ton of mental energy. Luckily, right after venting her frustration, Team Leader's car seemed to reach its destination.
A massive mansion nestled against a hill on the outskirts of Songdo Future City. The grand gate blocking the ascending road intimidated her from afar, but it simply opened as she approached.
Not just anywhere—Songdo, of all places, a mansion like that….
She fidgeted with the steering wheel nervously and followed. Tension gnawed at her.
While some struggle in a 4-pyeong one-room in Ganghwa….
Indeed. Who could live in a place like this? And why was Seo Hyun-ju visiting?
Hyun-ju's car paused briefly at another massive gate, which then opened, letting her in. She glimpsed the mansion beyond.
…No way I can get in, right?
It let her pass on the road for some reason, but that gate clearly separated inside from out. Without an invite, no entry.
Still, unable to give up, she lingered a few minutes, then parked on the roadside and got out. She zoomed her camera toward the mansion.
"…Figures I can't see shit."
Even with her pricey camera, no dice. What kind of powerful field was deployed here? Just in case, she snapped a few shots.
"Sigh…. Guess I'll head back—"
Thud.
Something pressed against the back of her head.
"…Huh??"
She instinctively knew. Move, and her head explodes. Extreme tension froze her body.
"Ah…. I-I, uh, I t-took a wrong turn…."
She slowly raised her hands. The one gripping the camera trembled violently.
Fuck! Too careless…!!
As she opened her mouth to beg for mercy—just let her go this once—
She heard something weird. Then a robotic transformation sound effect, and whatever it was shoved the back of her head forward.
"Move, and I shoot?"
"…!!!!"
And then the all-too-familiar voice.
"Reporter Yoon Ha-young."
That voice cruelly burrowed into her ears.
+ +
"…."
"…."
Yoon Ha-young's eyes were vacant as she slowly walked into the mansion. She couldn't comprehend the situation at all.
Why…. is Prosecutor In Eun here….
The thing that touched her nape—and still prodded her back now—was none other than a Terminator. The pinnacle of prosecutorial power, symbol of investigative legitimacy. One trigger pull, and her body would scatter into thousands of flesh chunks like those she'd seen days ago.
And the voice warning her not to move? Unmistakably Prosecutor In Eun's.
I hoped it wasn't true…. There were suspicious signs, doubts every time I noticed one, but I believed her…. But….
Yeah. Even accounting for all that, why here?
That was beyond understanding.
"You're two minutes late, Prosecutor."
The woman guarding the entrance said coldly. In Eun nudged Yoon Ha-young's back.
"Caught an uninvited guest. Took time bringing her."
"Hm."
The woman eyed Yoon Ha-young. The reporter, half out of her mind until now, finally took in the woman's appearance—and,
"!!!"
No doubt about it. The cop who'd shown up after her report!!
"Wh-what…? What's going on…."
Im Sua scanned Yoon Ha-young from head to toe.
"A bit underdeveloped, but…. Worth raising. Strip her and send her in."